video; @mccree / @steelsamayarai

[feytality]

[ Hey, it's McCree and Maya in the creepy caverns! They’ve definitely looked better, they’re both super pale, like they've seen a ghost or two or a horde. Maya just seems to be trembling non-stop, and she is extremely white. It's fine though? It's fine? They’ve got a message to deliver. ]

Guys--- We.... we made contact with the ghosts.

Yeah, a whole mess of 'em.

[ McCree's doing his best to not appear too rattled, but there's only so much he can hide. He's got an arm around the trembling Maya, but it doesn't seem to be doing much good. She's not trembling from the cold, after all. ]

And they said some stuff we thought y'all should know.

There was a voice -- a woman's voice, begging to save her son. She... she was talking about an effigy, that we need to destroy it, that she can't hold something back -- that her son needs to stop, that she loves him. [ She's gotta take a second to catch her breath and collect herself before going on. ] He's trying to bring her back, but she's in so much pain... She wants him to stop. I- I think it's Lucas.

That's the first thing we gotta take care of, but there's more. The ghosts— where do I even start? Well, they're mighty angry and said all sorts of strange stuff, like about how they’re gonna reclaim this world and what have you. They said they could see into the future and knew what was coming. And also that it was what someone named Archmage Karsus have done. Does that name ring any bells?

[ He's addressing the Reclaimers, but his gaze travels back to Maya to see if she’s starting to feel better yet. ]

Am I forgetting anything?

[ It'll be a while before she's totally composed, but she's slowly getting there. And leaning against him. ]

And... there's something else. Something's coming. Something... Like a god? I don't know. But I could feel it. And the ghosts... We have to do something, or everyone's going to die. Everyone.

[ what a cheery psa!! ]

Comments

[blodsvorr]

[he wants to be sarcastic about their Super Great situation, but priorities:]

Does Maya need one of the Clerics?

[feytality]

I'm... I'm okay. [ yes, clearly. ] It was just a little scary. That's all.

[blodsvorr]

Sounds terrifying. [Frankly!] Maybe you should get out of the caves for a while.

[seasaltkeys]

...

How do you even fight a ghost?

[He's fought ghost-like heartless, but those still had forms. Aren't ghosts see-through?]

[feytality]

I don't know that we need to fight them..... Or that it's even possible.

[ the god on the other hand.... maybe so. ]

[seasaltkeys]

But how do we even stop it then?

[mccreehaw]

I'm thinking that effigy is the key. I didn't hear the woman, so she's not with the other ghosts. She spoke to Maya directly while the ghosts spoke through Maya to me.

[seasaltkeys]

Effigy? That's the...statue, right?

[That seems like a lot of layers of ghosts.]

Kinda glad I didn't go into the caverns.

[mylawn]

How much time?

[Also he guesses he's glad you're both okay. HE GUESSES.]

[mccreehaw]

They didn't give us the courtesy of a time table.

[ NOT DEAD YET!!! ]

So I'd say the sooner we figure this effigy thing out, the better.

[mylawn]

They never do. Get back to Vista Virs. You need me to meet you halfway?

[For some extra muscle, perhaps.]

[feytality]

[ thanks dad, give her the alchohol. ]

I don't know. Soon, I think.

[mylawn]

It always is. I'm on my way out to you. We'll meet halfway.

[unrecovered]

[Oh. Oh this is bad.]

The archive had information about the Netherese empire - that dabbling in magic it shouldn't have might have been what destroyed it. Supposedly the spell could rewrite reality and make whoever cast it into a god. Supposedly it backfired and stole the souls of everyone in the empire instead.

The spell was called Karsus' Avatar.

Magic-canceling topaz, the dead rising, and a god showing up? This can't be a coincidence.

[Hi there, paranoia, how are you today?]

[Also, because his teammates' well-being is important:]

You two need to get out of the caverns.

[mccreehaw]

Damn.

[ That explains why the ghosts are so pissed: because of what Karsus did to them. ]

Not a bad notion, especially since we're surrounded by topaz.

[ He looks to Maya. ]

We'd better regroup with the others. I can carry you if you've got legs like jelly right now.

[feytality]

[ wash's nerdery paid off. ]

So..... that's how it came to be.... that's awful.

[ what the hell, karsus!!!! leave souls where they're supposed to be. ]

Y-Yeah. I think you're right. [ moving is hard, though. ]

[reticence]

[Wow this is dire.]

She's begging us to save her son -- from the effigy? Is there a direct correlation between destroying it and keeping off this god you have mentioned is coming?

Or are we talking of two separate disasters on the horizon...

[feytality]

I don't think it has to do with the god. I think it has to do with --- [ shudders a little. ] The.... the souls. Or.... what's left of them. She was --- I think she was part of them. She saved me from them.

[ so yeah, two separate. ]

[protegge]

Shit, Maya, are you okay?

[Not physically, he can see that much, but — psychically, or empathically. Empathetically? This has hit her hard, whatever you want to call it.]

[he's glad you're all right too mccree but maya is just a litle creacher]

[feytality]

[ poor mccree. he's just not cute enough. ]

I'm f-fine.

[ believable!!!!! ]

[kahunanu]

[Oh my god Maya WHY DIDN'T YOU STAY AWAY FROM THE GHOSTS.]

Maya why didn't you listen...

[He's already done his lecturing so all he does is drag his hand down his face disapprovingly and accept she's ok, even if she doesn't look it so convincingly. McCree's there with her, he's going to have to to trust he's actually doing a good job of keeping her safe, especially when Nanu isn't entirely sure he would have been able to do the same in the situation they described... how the hell did the stakes get so high on their second mission...?]

This Archmage guy's got to be absurdly powerful. Even if we don't deal with him immediately I'm sure we will eventually.

[For now though he rubs his chin feeling very confident he can at least contribute some peice to this from his adventures in the caves getting the Dream Crown.] That god though... the Yuan-ti were making ritualistic sacrifices out of some of the Kitsune in the caves for one of theirs. They called it Sseth.

1/2

[feytality]

[ her listening skills are excellent as always. ]

[ though she does actually look super guilty so maybe she listens a little???? just not enough. ]

I.... they were going to attack the town, I had to do something.... I'm really sorry.

[feytality]

[ but also that's more horrifying. ]

What he did wasn't right at all. I can't believe he would mess with something so sacred....

[ and more??? horrifying??? ]

The... Yuan-ti were sacrificing....? [ is that why the god appeared?? holy shit. ] That's awful.

@sans; text

[ribticklers]

[Maya please!!!]

sounds like somebody should tell lucas and twocas what his mom said. ghosts aren't really my department, but he was sure doing a lot of research on the planes.

you doing okay, kiddo? you look rattled.

[RIMSHOT. It's probably obvious he's referring to Maya there by context--McCree is a bit too old to be a kiddo, and also he's not shaking.]

[feytality]

[ god sans, making her read!! what is this. ]

I'll tell them. They can't... mess around with stuff like this.

[ that's how this whole thing started in the first place!! ]

Y-Yeah. I'm okay.

[ believable!!!! ]